Joseph Anthony Horak, 84, of Hollywood, MD passed away on July 14, 2018 in Baltimore, MD. Born on April 3, 1934 in Takoma Park, MD, he was the son of the late Anton Horak and Anna Marie McKovsky. He is survived by his sister, Elizabeth Williams of Novato, CA; his stepson, Wayne M. Gordon of Upper Marlboro, MD; and numerous nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his wife, Anna Jeannine Horak in 1996 and his siblings Helen Hannigan, Mary Seckel Skinner and Francis Horak.
A native of Silver Spring, MD, Mr. Horak grew up on a farm in the White Oak, MD area. He was a graduate of Montgomery Blair High School and the University of Maryland. During his military service, he volunteered for and served in the Army Special Forces (Green Berets). Mr. Horak began his career with the U.S. Census Bureau as a statistician in the Agriculture Division in 1958. During his early years with the Census Bureau, he traveled extensively throughout the United States training enumerators and crew leaders in census methods and procedures for collecting information from farms and ranches for the 1959 and 1964 national censuses of agriculture. He later specialized in compilation and publication of statistics on farm irrigation becoming Chief of the Irrigation Branch and retired as Assistant Division Chief for Agriculture Statistics. For 13 years during and after retirement from the Census Bureau, Mr. Horak was a business partner in the construction, renovation, and management of rental property in the Laurel, MD and Jessup, MD areas. After retirement, he lived in Hollywood, MD where he built a house and enjoyed doing yard work and maintaining fruit trees and a garden.
The family will receive friends on Monday, July 23, 2018 from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, MD where a Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 AM in the Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow in Washington National Cemetery Suitland, MD.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hollywood Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 79, Hollywood, MD 20636.
